Device for electric control of movable stands



July 1, 1941 L. KAMENAROVIC v 2,247,842

DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CONTROL OF MOVABLE STANDS v Filed NOV.v 4. 1933 a a7 A 4 /7 l I II J l J49 :2

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Patented July 1, 1941 DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CONTROL OF MOVABLE STANDSLeone Kamenarovi, Milan, Italy, assignor to Fabbrica Italiana MametiMarelli Societa Anonima, Milan, Italy, a corporation of ItalyApplication November 4, 1988, Serial No. 238,923 In Italy November 17,1937 (chm-239) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to means for the electric control of movablestands and more particularly to means for electric control of standsadapted to be moved both in horizontal and in vertical direction, suchas embodied in connection with fire arms, search lights or the like inships, aircraft, tanks and the like.

This invention comprises means of theabove stated class in which themeans controlling an electric motor which actuates the stand comprises asystem of contactors operated by a single manipulating member which isinitially moved by the operator in the particular direction and hand hedesires to move the stand to take the intended position; saidmanipulating member may consist of a fire arm carried by the stand inconnection with comparatively light arms, as machine guns and smallordnance guns.

This invention also includes contactors to be embodied in means of theabove defined class which are arranged and operative to cause the standactuating motor to run with a variable speed and more particularly witha speed in a ratio with respect to the amplitude of the initial movementimparted to the manipulating member or fire arm.

Further, the means of this invention may be arranged to actuate thestand at the-same time in two directions at an angle and moreparticularly at right angles to each other as for the purpose of layinga gun on the line both in horizontal and vertical directions.

' An embodiment of this invention is shown on the annexed drawing andFigure l is a diagrammaticai perspective view oi a stand constructed inaccordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a diagram of the wirings of the stand actuating motors and ofthe control means mounted rotatably, said turn table 52 being actuatedby an electromotor Mo driving a worm II "in mesh with a worm-gear rim Itprovided on the turn table 52. Means hereinafter described.

and shown at 22, 21, II are provided on the support It and turn table l2to restrict the angular movement of the turn table 52 with respect tothe support 04.

A quadrant shaped cradle it is pivoted on a horizontal axis on bracketsl1 rising from the turn table 52, said cradle being actuated by anelectromotor fast'on said brackets 51 and driving a worm it in mesh witha worm gear rim I! provided at the periphery of the cradle 58.Cooperating motion restricting means as 61, 62, BI, 82 are provided onsaid turn table 52 and cradle 50 said motion restricting means operatingas hereinafter described.

A member to be controlled and which is assumed to be a machine gun showndiagrammatically at Ii is mounted on an universal or ball supportcarried by the cradle 58, and the breech end of said gun is embraced bya frame 66 on which oppositely located contactors 26, 2t, 48, 49' areprovided, said contactors 26, 26' lying in a horizontal line and saidcontactors 48, 48' lying in a vertical line.

Electric connections are shown in Fig. 1 cooperating with parts Mo, Me,22, 21, B2, 81, 2B,

26", 49, 49' to assist understanding of the op-' eration of the stand,said connections being referenced to agree with the wiring diagram ofFigures 2 and 3.

As apparent, the electomotors Mo and Me are adapted to cause movementsin horizontal direction and in vertical direction respectively of thegun Bl by means of the above outlined sup porting and driving means;each electromotor Mo and Me is provided with a series field includingtwo oppositely-wound windings i and 2 to cause the motor rotor to rotatein opposite directions and said windings I and 2 are connected in such amanner as either of them only may be switched in during the operation.

Electric current is supplied to motors Mo and Me by a battery 2 havingone terminal connected with a terminal of each motor by the leads 4, 4,I and an intermediate graduating resistor 3! as hereinafter described:the opposite battery terminal is connected by means of wires 1, I, Iwith a common contact ll of a double electromagnetic switch ii whoseother contacts i2 and it are connected by means of the wires i4 and iiwiththe terminals it and II of the motor M0 the pairs of contacts iii,i2 and II, it being selectively coupled by the respective bridges II and32 under the action of control means as hereinafter described.

The bridge I. intended to couple the contacts ll, i2 of the switch ii isactuated by a core ll of an electromagnet 2i having one end con-.'nected with the supply wires 19, 1,8 while its 26 hereinafterdescribed; a compression return spring 28 acts to hold said bridge l8spaced from cooperating contacts l8, l2 when the electromagnet 2| istie-energized.

The contactor 26 includes a stationary casing 25 carrying the brush 24connected with the wire 23 and a further brush 21 connected by the wires28, 29 with the battery connected wire 4, 4 as well as a further brush48 connected with a wire 46 for a hereinafter described purpose. Aslider 38 is mounted to reciprocate within the casing 25 against theaction of a return spring 3| and carries a conducting bridge 32 adaptedto couple the brushes 24 and 21 when said slider 38 is moved leftwardsagainst the action of its return spring 3|; a lug 32' of said bridge 32is adapted to contact with the brush 48 of casing 25 when said slider 38is moved to the end of its leftwards stroke.

As apparent the wires 23, 28, 46 and respective brushes 24, 21, 48 areelectrically insulated from each other and from casing 25; likewise thebridge 32, 32 is electrically insulated from the slider 38 and casing25.

The switch includes a second bridge 33 adapted to couple its contacts l8and I3; said bridge 33 is actuated by a core 34 and an electromagnetcoil 35 as well as by a return spring 28; the coil 35 has one endconnected with the wire 8 and with the supply battery 3 and its otherend is connected through the wire 36, the stroke end breaker 31 and thewire 38, with a brush, as 24, of a contactor 26' identical with theabove described contactor 26 and having its slider 38' aligned with andspacedly in front to the slider 38 of the contactor 26.

As above stated a resistor 39 is provided in the motor supply circuit;to out 01f said resistor to secure a larger speed in the motor operationsaid resistor 39 is controlled in the hereinafter described manner. Abridge 48 is arranged across the ends of said resistor and is connectedwith the core 4| of an electromagnet 42 having one end connected withthe battery through the wires 44, 8, 1, 1; the other end of saidelectromagnet 42 is connected in parallel through the wires 45, 46, 41with the brushes 48 of the two facing con-tactors 26, 26' cooperating,as above described, with the bridges as 32' of the sliders 38, 38' ofthe respective contactors, said bridges 32' being able to couple thebrushes 48 with brushes 21 at the time either one of said sliders ismoved to the end of its stroke beyond its position in which its bridge32 couples the brushes 24 and 21. A compression spring 43 acts on thecore 4| to resiliently hold said bridge 48 spaced from the ends of theresistor 39.

Each of the stroke end breakers 22, 31, 62, 61 includes a contact arm as22' or 31' resiliently held in position by a spring 69 to couple therespective wires as 68, 23 said arm having a finger as 18 adapted to beengaged by a cooperating abutment as 55 or 6| or 63 of a cooperatingmember of the stand to break the associate motor circuit at the end ofthe largest admitted stroke in the direction and hand said breaker isdevoted to, as occurred by eifect of the respective movement of thecooperating members of the stand.

The circuits of the motor Me intended to carry out the movement of thecradle 56 and member carried thereby in another direction, for instancein elevation in the contemplated embodiment, are arranged and controlledin a manner similar to the above described one, with the coopeiation ofa pair of contactors 49, 49' identical with the above described ones 26,26', said contactors having their sliders 58, 58' aligned and frontallyspaced from each other.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the pairs of contactors 26, 26 and 49, 49' arearranged on a frame 66 fast on the cradle 56 with their sliders 38, 38'and 58, 58' in aligned and spaced positions in front of each other bypairs, each pair of aligned sliders 38, 38' being located at rightangles to the other one as 58, 58' and said pairs leaving anintermediate free space where the control member or gun 5| extends; saidgun 5| is free to oscillate in all directions about its ball support 65on the cradle 56 carrying the frame 66 and contactors 26, 26, 49, 49' asshown by arrows in Fig. 2 in respect of some of the possible directionsof oscillation, a certain gap or lost motion being provided forintermediate said gun 5| when in its mean positions and the confrontingends of said sliders 38, 38, 58, 58.

Assuming the device to be in inoperative position with the several partsin respective mean positions and the gun spaced from all the contactorsliders 38, 38, 58, 58', all the electromag nets 2|, 35 and 42 arede-energized and accordingly the circuits of the motors Mo, Me are cutout at contacts I8, 33 of the electromagnetic switches II and thebridges 48 are disconnected from the ends of the respective resistors 39which are thus left operative in the motor supply circuits; in the abovesuggested conditions all the stroke end breakers are closed, their arms22', 31 connecting the respective contacts and circuits.

At the time the operator moves the gun 5| towards the slider of eitherof said contactors 26, 26', 49, 49', as the slider 38 of the contactor26, and said slider is moved inwardly of the respective casing 25against the return action of spring 3|, the bridge 32 of said slidercouples the brushes 24, 21 and thus causes the energization of theelectromagnet 2| through 3, 1, 1, 8, 2|, 68, 22', 23, 24, 32, 21, 28,29, 3; the core I!) is thus shifted and it moves the bridge IE to closethe supply circuit of the Winding of the motor Mo through 3, 1, 1, 8,l8, l8, l2, l4, I6, I, the rotor of motor M0, 6, 5, 39, 4, 4, 3, saidmotor Mo being thus fed in conditions to operate in a given direction.

The turn table 52 and cooperating parts are thus moved on one hand onthe support 64, and said action develops as long as the gun 5| is heldby the operator in position to hold the slider 38 in operative position,while said gun 5| follows the motion of the parts 52, 51, 56; as soon asthe gun 5| is caused to release the slider 38, this slider is moved backby the spring 3| to cause the bridge 32 to be disconnected from brush21, and then the electromagnet 2| is de-energized, the bridge l8 beingthus moved by the cooperating spring 28 to cut the motor feeding circuitat contacts l8, l2. The parts are thus caused to stop in the positionthey have been carried into.

A similar operation to stop the parts occurs at the end of the largestadmitted stroke, by effect of the cooperation of the finger 55 with thearm 18 of the respective breaker 22, the energizing circuit of theelectromagnet 2| being then cut off at 22'.

Should the motion imparted by the operator to the gun 5| and slider 38be such as to cause the slider 38 to go to the end of its stroke alongcasing 25, the bridge 32, 32' of said slider 38, after having coupledthe brushes 24, 21, also engages the further brush 68 and closes thefurther circuit 3, 4". 29, 28, 21, 82, 32', I, 48, l5, 42, 44, 1, 1, 3to energize the electromagnet l2 and cause it to connect.the bridge 40across the ends of the resistor 39; said resistor 38 is thus shortcircuited, and the motor M is caused .circuiting the resistor 39 and foractuating the breaker 31 is also similar to the above described I one.

The operation of the motor Me-causing the actuation of the cradle 58 ineither hand around its horizontal pivot on'brackets 51 is controlled bythe contactors 49, t9 and respective sliders 50, 50' with thecooperation of the electromagnetic switch He, removable resistor 89c andbreakers 62, 61 as described in connection with motor Mo and associateparts 26, 2B, 30, 30', ll, 39, 22, 31;

If the gun is shifted by the operator diagonally with respect tocross-arranged sliders 30, 30', 50. 50', both motors M0 and Me arecaused to run at the same time each in a given direction, the durationand the speed of the opera-' tion 01 each of said motors depending uponthe duration'and extent of the action impressed by the said gun ill orequivalent member on either of the sliders 30, 3D, 50, 50'.

Of course, each of the resistors 38 may be divided into sections adaptedto be short ciron a stand which in turn is movable on a sup-' port, saidsupport being movable on a base member, comprising a reversible motordriving said stand on said support in a direction andinopeposed handsalong said direction. said motor having two field circuits for the motoroperation in said opposed hands, a second reversible motor driving saidsupport on said base member in a second direction at an angle to saidfirst direction and in opposed hands along said second direction. saidsecond motor having two field circuits for the operation thereof in saidopposed hands, a supply of electric current for feedin said motors.control means for connecting each of said circuitswith said supply,operating means for each 01 said control means. saidoperating meansbelonging to each or said motors being spaced'from and aligned with eachother in a pair and arranged to move in a direction corresponding to thesaid direction of the actuation imparted by the respective motor, saidmovable member extendingintermediate said operating means and beingarranged to move on said stand in both said directions and in both saidhands along each or said directions with respect to said operating meansand beingadapted to shift either of said operating means of said pairsby 'eflect oi. a displacement imparted to said memher in the respectivedirection and hand on said stand.

2. A device for actuating a member movable on a stand which in turn ismovable on a supsupport on said base member in a second direction at anangle to said first direction and in opposed hands along said seconddirection. said second motor having two field circuits for the operationthereof in said opposed hands, means in said circuits of said secondmotor for limiting the feed of current thereto, a supply of electriccurrent for feeding said motors, control means for connecting each ofsaid circuits with said supply, operating means for each of said controlmeans and said current feed limiting means of each of said motors, saidoperating means belonging to each of said motors being spaced from andaligned with each other in a pair and arrangedto move in a directioncorresponding to the said direction of the actuation imparted by therespective motor, said movable member extending intermediate saidoperating means and being arranged to move on said stand in both saiddirections and in both said hands along each of said directions andadapted to shift either of said operating means of said pairs toselectivelyenergize either of said circuits of said motors andsubsequently to make the respective i'eed limiting means inoperative ina first and a second step'respectively, by effect of a displacementimparted to said member with respect to said stand and operating meansofam of said pairs in the respective direction and hand.

3. A device for actuating a member movable on a stand which in turn ismovable on a support, said support being movable on a base member,comprising a reversible motor driving said stand on said support in adirection and in opposed hands along said direction, said motor havingtwo field circuits for the motor operation in said opposed hands, asecond reversible motor driving said supporton said base member in asecond direction at an angle to said first direction and in opposedhands along said second direction said second motor having two fieldcircuits for the operation thereof in said opposed hands, a supply ofelectric current for feeding said motors, switching means located onsaid stand each for connecting either of said circuits with said supplyand a reciprocating plunger'in each of said switching means foroperation thereof said plungers belonging to each of said motors beingopposite to and spaced from each other and arranged in a pair toreciprocate along alignedpaths in a direction corresponding to saiddirection of the actuation imparted by the respective motor, saidmovable member extending intermediate said plungers and being arrangedto move on said stand in both said directions and in both hands in eachof said directions with respect to said plungers to shift either of themto operate the respective switching means by effect of a displacementimparted to said member in the respective direction and hand on saidstand.

4. A device for actuating a member movable on a stand which in turn ismovable on a support, said support being movable on a base member,comprising a reversible motor driving said stand on said support in adirection and in opposed hands along said direction said motor havingtwo field circuits for the motor operation in said opposed hands, asecond reversible motor driving said support on said base member in asecond direction at an angle to said first direction and in opposedhands along said second direction said second motor having two fieldcircuits for the operation thereof in said opposed hands, a supply ofelectric current for feeding said motors, electrically operated controlmeans for connecting either of said motor field circuits with saidsupply, casings arranged in pairs on said stand the casings pertainingto the same pair being spaced from each other and aligned in a directioncorresponding to said direction of the actuation imparted by one of saidmotors, insulated contact plugs in each of said casings said contactplugs of the casings of each pair being inserted across the circuit ofsaid control means controlling either of said field circuits of therespective motor, a plunger mounted to reciprocate in each of saidcasings in the respective direction and having a bridge adapted tocouple said contact plugs thereof, and a return spring in each casingand operative on the respective plunger to restore it in plug uncouplingposition, said plungers being spaced from and opposite to each other inpairs and said movable member extending intermediate said plungers andbeing arranged to move on said stand in both said directions and in bothhands in each of said directions with respect to said plungers to shifteither of them to couple the respective contact plugs by efiect of adisplacement imparted to said member in the respective direction andhand on said stand.

5. A device for actuating a member movable on a stand which in turn ismovable on a support, comprising a reversible motor driving said standon said support in a direction and in opposed hands along said directionsaid motor having two field circuits for the motor operation in saidopposed hands, means in each of said circuits for limiting the feed ofcurrent thereto, a supply of electric current, electric relay means forconnecting each of said field circuits with said supply, electriccontrol means for making each of saidfeed limiting means inoperative,two contactors on said stand spaced from and aligned with each other ina direction corresponding to said direction of said stand actuation andeach comprising a stationary brush belonging to said electric ,relaymeans of one of said field circuits and a stationary brush belonging tosaid electric control means of the respective feed limiting means saidbrushes being aligned in the direction of the stand actuation and aplungerarranged to reciprocate with respect to the respective brushes insaid direction and contacts on side points of said plunger forcooperation with said brushes to energize said relay and control meansrespectively, return means in each of said contactors resilientlyholding the respective plunger and contacts thereof in position forde-energization of said relay and control means, each of said plungersand contacts when moved 01f from said de-energizing position energizingthe respective relay and control means in sequence,

said plungers of said contactors being spaced from and opposed to eachothervand said movable member extending intermediate said plungers andbeing arranged to move on saidstand in opposite hands along saiddirection with respect to said contactors to shift said plunger ofeither of them from said de-energizing position thereof into its relaymeans and control means energizing position in sequence by efi'ect of a'displacement imparted to said member in the respective hand in saiddirection on said stand.

6. A device for actuating a member movable on a stand which in turn ismovable on a support, said support being movable on a base member,comprising a reversible motor driving said stand on said support in afirst direction and in opposed hands along said direction, a secondreversible motor driving said support on said base member in a seconddirection at an angle to said first direction and in opposed hands alongsaid second direction, each of said motors having two field circuits forthe operation thereof in said respective opposed hands, means in each ofsaid circuits for limiting the feed of current thereto, a supply ofelectric current, electric relay means for connecting each of said fieldcircuits with saidsupply, electric control means for making each of saidfeeding limiting means inoperative, two pairs of contactors on saidstand, the contactors 'of the first one of said pairs being spaced fromand aligned with each other in a direction corresponding to thedirection of said stand actuation on said support and the contactors ofthe second one of said pairs being spaced from and aligned with eachother in a direction corresponding to the direction of said supportactuation on said base member, 'each of said contactors of said firstpair and second pair comprising two stationary brushes belongingrespectively to, said electric relay means and said electric controlmeans of one of said field circuits of said stand driving motor and ofsaid support driving motor respectively said brushes being aligned inthe direction of actuation by the respective motor and a plunger adaptedto reciprocate with respect to the respective brushes in said directionof actuation and contacts on side points of said plunger for cooperationwith the respective brushes to energize said relay and control means in.sequence, return means in each of said contactors resiliently holdingthe respective plunger and contacts thereof in position forde-energization of said relay and control means each of said plungersand contacts when moved oil from said de-energizing position energizingthe respective relay and control means in sequence said plungers of saidcontactors being spaced from and op- Posed to each other in each of said.contactor pairs, and said movable member extending intermediate saidplungers and being arranged to move on said stand in both saiddirections and in opposite hands along each of them with respect to saidcontactors to shift said plungers selectively from said de-energizingposition thereof into its relay means and control means energizingpositions in sequence by efiect of a displacement imparted to saidmember in the respective direction and hand therealong on said stand.

LEONE KAMENAROVIC.

